


Trouble

by Chaolina



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Jay gives actual helpful advices (for a change), Jay is the ultimate wingman, M/M, Zane is new to crushes, glaciershipping - Freeform, i did NOT proofread that i just wanted it to be over so sorry if there's mistakes, please help, this took so long im so glad its over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27442132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaolina/pseuds/Chaolina
Summary: "Zane was in trouble. Which was unusual, considering he was normally the one to get everyone else out of trouble. Life truly has a way with irony.But to understand why, you'll have to go back a few weeks prior. When it all started."
Relationships: Cole/Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhh I finally finished it ! This fic was gonna be the death of me I SWEAR  
> Anyways enjoy ! Glacier is my fav ships and I put a LOT of love in this ♡

Zane was in trouble. Which was unusual, considering he was normally the one to get everyone else out of trouble. Life truly has a way with irony.

But to understand why, you'll have to go back a few weeks prior. When it all started.

Summer days on the ship were tough, to say the least. Training constantly under a bright sun with little to no protection usually led to the boys overheating. 

Even Kai, so stubborn he could swear he felt great when you could see his eyes pleading to put him out of his misery. 

So, the boys had started using Zane's powers to cool off. Some snowflakes here, some ice there... It worked like a charm.

However, this alternative wasn't ideal for Cole. After his time as a ghost, everything having to do with water or melting ice left him a little wary. So, the earth ninja had chosen the other option.

Zane.

Cole would put Zane's hand on his neck, or lean on the nindroid while resting. The cold metal skin was perfect to cool him down. Sometimes he'd even ask for hugs, and the ice ninja felt like his insides melted a little, for... Whatever reason.

Zane was fine with it, at first. His teammate needed help, and he helped him. Nothing more than that.

But when he caught himself blushing for no reason as a tired Cole nuzzled against his chest, he knew something wasn't right.

'It's probably a misplaced wire', he thought. So he went to Jay for a checkup.

"Looks fine to me, bud !" Jay said as he slid his protection glasses to the top of his head, glancing at the delicate machinery inside Zane's chest. "What malfunctions did you have ? You just asked me to see if something was wrong."

"Let's see. I have been blushing for no reason, heating up, my insides felt strange... That isn't normal, is it ?" 

Jay lifted his head up, eyes wide. This just became interesting.

"Um- Is there, uh, by any chance... Something in common between these... Malfunctions ? Like a situation ? Or..." Jay leaned in closer, his gossip face on. "Like a person ?" 

"Now that you mention it, yes. They occur mostly when Cole is close to me."

"When Cole is- ?" The blue ninja stifled a laugh. "And you really... You don't know what that means ? You- You've thought yourself human for years, don't tell me you never had a crush !"

Zane shook his head, confused.

"I do not wish to crush Cole, Jay. You are not making much sense."

"No, not the literal sense ! A crush is, uh, you know. Love !"

The nindroid furrowed his brows, still not understanding.

"But I have affection for each member of the team, and I never seem to malfunction around the others."

"That's because you like us as friends ! What you feel for Cole is more, well, romantic !"

Jay dramatically blew a kiss at Zane, who let out a soft chuckle.

"So, what should I do to avoid getting overheated in the future ? I do not want to stop helping Cole cool down after training. Or stop spending time with him, for that matter."

"Well," the blue ninja said, thinking, "Usually, confessing your feelings is a good way to stop being nervous around the person. But I think you should just follow your instinct. Whatever you see fit should be the best outcome, since you're a literal robot."

Zane let out a sigh. "I suppose this is only logical. Thank you, Jay."

The boy responded by a big smile. "Always happy to help, bud ! Let me know how it goes !"

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Training was exhausting. You could tell by the looks on the boys' faces and by how drenched in sweat Kai was. This wasn't an unusual sight, actually, but it was indeed worse than before due to the ninja's unwillingness to admit weakness. 

As they left Kai to die dehydrated in the hole he'd dug, Cole followed Zane into the living room to relax on the couch and refresh himself on the nindroid.

They just sat there for a couple of minutes, undisturbed, Cole's head on Zane's shoulder and his arm around the nindroid's torso. 'Like a couple', the latter thought. A small smile lit up his face.

Then the sound of his internal fans starting brought him back to reality. He was blushing again too, judging from the heat in his cheeks.

He wanted to sigh, but then he'd disturb the peaceful-looking Cole beside him. His eyes were closed, his chest rising slowly like he was falling asleep. Soft black hair tickled Zane's arm. The reassuring, sweet scent of his skin made his power source flutter.

"Cole ?" Zane whispered. "Are you awake ?"

A simple growl answered him. 

Nervous, the white ninja turned his head to face him. Cole was sleeping, Jay was busy working with Nya and Lloyd was making sure Kai didn't actually die. They were alone, so it was now or never. Nobody would know. 

He took a deep breath.

"I... have fallen for you, Cole."

If Zane wasn't so nervous he'd swear he felt the ninja tense up slightly, but his mind wasn't exactly clear right now.

"It has been going on for quite a while, actually. I think it started around the first time you asked me for a hug after training," he smiled fondly.

"You and I have never been ones for physical affection, if I recall correctly. Despite how close we are, our exchanges have never passed the stage of fist-bumps."

He brushed the hand resting on his side lightly, the soft skin shivering under his now colder touch.

"And that day was the first time, without knowing it at first, that I regretted that."

Shaking his head to stay on track, he continued.

"Everything about you makes me want to smile and stare at you for hours. I don't know how I didn't notice it before. Now I can't function properly when you're around."

He stopped for a few seconds, making sure Cole was still asleep. Despite a slight heartbeat raise, he was still breathing calmly. So Zane continued.

"The only reason I am sharing this is because you make me blush so much I am overheating often, and Jay suggested confessing to end my nervousness around you." He chuckled. Apparently he was right.

"I'd never force my feelings on you, you are too precious of a friend to me and I would hate to make you uncomfortable. That is why I told you all of this in your sleep." 

Finally letting out that breath he didn't know he was holding, he moved his gaze to meet Cole's closed eyes.

He almost jumped when he saw two very much open eyes instead.

Cole was staring right back at him, his face redder than a tomato.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a burst of inspiration at 3am and I am very emotional. They are just. So Adorable, ,,  
> Also Jay is best wingman. That is a fact

Jay was tapping his foot on the ground rapidly. He felt sorry for him, really, but this was a little too... Dramatic.

"Zane."

No answer.

"Zane, talk to me."

A few seconds of silence. Then a muffled voice came out of Jay's closet.

"I am in big trouble."

He huffed. "No, you're not. Just... Come out of the closet so we can properly talk."

After a few moments debating whether or not he should listen to Jay, the nindroid slowly opened the door.

His eyes met Jay's, which showed a mix of sympathy and annoyance. 

"Please close the door. I don't think I would be able to survive an encounter with Cole now."

"What happened to 'I don't want to stop spending time with him' ?"

"Jay. I cannot face him ever again. This was the worst mistake of my existence, I don't know what came over me-"

The ninja's internal fans were wheezing under the unusual stress and the master of lighting was beginning to worry. Zane was still rambling, a bit out of character for the most composed member of the team and also the least easily flustered. 

Jay put both hands on his shoulders to get his attention and try to calm him down.

"Calm down. Breathe slowly. Inhale. Exhale. You remember ?"

This was what Sensei Wu taught them to try and lower their heartbeat to keep a clear head on missions. It also seemed to work on Zane, even if the boy didn't exactly have a heart. Or lungs, for that matter. 

The two boys breathed gently for a minute, until Zane was feeling less anxious. Although he was still fidgeting and looking at his feet, Jay wasn't hearing the fans and Zane wasn't rambling anymore.

"Better ?"

"Hmmhmm."

The nindroid let out a heavy sigh. 

"I'm usually the one to get you all out of trouble. I never thought I'd ever be the one in it," he whispered with a sad smile.

"Yeah, life is funny like that." Jay chuckled. "But I still don't think you're in trouble. Did you talk to Cole at all ? Maybe he feels the same."

"That is highly unlikely. Plus, I went straight to your room after... What happened. I wasn't exactly in the clearest of mindsets at the moment." They laughed. 

"I guess that's understandable. I'd hate to have Kai find out I have a crush on him by accident." Realising what he had just said, the boy blushed slightly. "Anyways um-"

Zane raised an eyebrow but thankfully didn't comment.

"So. What's the plan ? Do you... Do you want me to tell him ? I could if you're really incomfortable. Or I could help you cover it up, like I could say I dared you to do it."

"That is beyond nice, Jay, and I truly appreciate it. I just... I wish I could do it myself. But I would never forgive myself if my relationship with Cole ends up strained with this whole ordeal."

Brows furrowed in sympathy, the blue ninja locked his arm with the master of ice. 

"We've all known eachother for, what, six years ? You think a simple crush is gonna change our bond ? We're as close as people can get. Worst case scenario, he doesn't like you back. Then everything goes back to normal and you stay friends. Nya, Cole and I remained friends after that weird love triangle thing. So why not you two ?" 

Zane had to admit, Jay was making a lot of good points. Which was... Strange.

"When did you get so smart ?" He asked jokingly, pressing his index finger against the freckled boy's forehead. 

"I had a good teacher," he replied, sticking his tongue out with a smile.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Okay. 

He could do it. 

He was going to do it. 

He walked into the living room, feeling confident enough thanks to Jay's pep talk. That is, until he met Cole's worried gaze from the couch which he still hadn't left. 

He couldn't do it.

His system was overwhelmed by the amount of informations going through it at high speed, and the nindroid just froze there, unable to continue. His cheeks were ice blue from blushing.

"Zane ?" The other ninja called, making him jump. 

"...Yes ?" was all he could muster.

"C'mere. Please."

One slow step at a time, Zane made his way to the couch. He still sat as far as he could from his friend, because Cole's gaze on him was more that he could take. The kindness in his eyes was enough to make Zane stutter- Something that almost never happen since he's, you know, a robot. 

They stay silent until Cole started.

"I wasn't really... Sleeping, y'know. I was just so relaxed with you. I could've ended up falling asleep but then you started talking and I couldn't... Interrupt you anymore, heh." He scratched his neck, clearly nervous.

The master of ice hid his face in his hands, secretly hoping for the ground to open and make him disappear. He could feel his artificial stomach churn. "So. You've, um... You've heard it all, then ?" 

"Yep."

"Well that is just fantastic," he sighed in defeat. "At least you know I do not expect anything from you in terms of romantic involvement. I just hope you won't be incomfortable around me in the foreseeable future," the ninja added as he got up from the couch, hoping the other wouldn't notice the crack in his voice. He needed some time to deal with his emotional turmoil and didn't want Cole to feel guilty about his current state of mind.

But he was pulled back as he felt a light tug on his shirt. 

"I can promise that won't happen. But you might wanna sit down for what's next."

Slightly concerned, Zane did as he was told and looked at his teammate with a puzzled expression. Cole's cheeks were slowly turning a deep dark red, but he did his best to speak clearly.

"So, um. I've been thinking about how to tell you that for a while, actually." He scratched his neck again, a nervous habit that Zane had always found very cute. Barely unnoticeable, he moved an inch closed.

"I've noticed how you look at me. I've heard your fans go crazy when I'm around. I've seen you blush this beautiful shade of blue." 

Wait, what ? He knew ? Then why-

"The reason I didn't say anything is because... I didn't want YOU to get incomfortable and stop. Because if I told you you'd know I had been staring too."

He took the white ninja's hand into his own and squeezed it gently. Hope flashed in the deep blue eyes of the android. 

"Because you're just so damn perfect. I love the way you care for everyone and how you're always there for us. I love how you fight, how both powerful and elegant you are in battle. I love your sense of humor, even if it's weird. I love how your eyes shine whenever moonlight hits them."

The master of ice didn't dare move or say a word, in fear that it would break this surreal moment he was experiencing. They were breathing in sync.

"You're just perfect and I don't know how you fell for me. But it was just normal I fell for you."

Zane was speechless, his system barely processing the situation. So he did the only thing he could think of. 

He took Cole's face in his hands and locked their lips together.

After a second of surprise, the black ninja melted into the kiss. He grabbed Zane's waist and pulled him closed, against him, like he was afraid if he'd let him go he would disappear.

If it lasted only a few seconds, it felt much, much longer to them. Like months of untold feelings, of pining, of hope and despair. Of love.

When they stopped to let Cole breathe, since he was the one with actual lungs, they still didn't let go of eachother.

Hugging tighter, Zane let out a relieved laugh.

"I cannot believe I thought I was in trouble."

"Yeah. Same." Cole responded with a tender smile, a hand in Zane's soft hair. 

The master of earth then turned his head towards the hallway, where a certain blue ninja winked at him with a thumb up, mouthing the word 'You're welcome'.

He winked back.


End file.
